Standoff suspect who shot at cops was distraught over breakup, police say

By Ricardo Torres-Cortez

Friday, Dec. 16, 2016 | 12:15 a.m.

Five days before terrorizing his family, kidnapping his former neighbors and shooting 26 rounds in a south valley neighborhood, the suspect loaded a bullet into his gun’s chamber, pointed it at his ex-girlfriend and uttered, “If I can’t have you, no one can,” according to Metro Police.

The couple of 21 years share three children and until recently also had shared the house in the 7700 block of Coral Cactus Court where Tuesday’s five-hour standoff began, police said.

The relationship between Edison Somera, 37, and his girlfriend had soured to the point that she had been granted a temporary protective order, Clark County Undersheriff Kevin McMahill said Thursday.

He was served the order on Dec. 8, McMahill said. That was the same day he threatened the woman in a car and three days after his concealed firearms permit was revoked by the court.

Ignored phone calls to his ex prompted Somera back to the house he was kicked out of last month, near Robindale Road and Decatur Boulevard, police said.

That fateful morning, Somera once again pulled a gun on the woman when she said the relationship was over, police said. Fearing his father was going to shoot his mother, the adult son tackled Somera, allowing the woman to flee.

Somera gathered his son and a 6-year-old family friend and went upstairs, where he retrieved an AK-47-style rifle and pointed it at his son at least 10 times, police said. His baby daughter was also with them.

As Somera searched the house for his girlfriend, the trio were able to escape the house, police said.

Arriving officers gathered in the neighborhood’s cul-de-sac, about five houses away, McMahill said. Armed with the rifle, Somera stepped outside, walked back inside and during some point went next door, where he kidnapped two men at gunpoint.

One of the men was able to flee and a body camera worn by officer Paolo De Leon captured what transpired next.

The footage shows De Leon taking cover behind a wall and armed with a rifle. The fleeing man, who is heard screaming for help, briefly comes into frame as Somera fires his weapon. At least one of the rounds skipped near the man's feet, McMahill said. At least one patrol car was struck several times.

De Leon, who was placed on paid administrative leave, was able to fire off six rounds, McMahill said. No one was wounded.

Somera had the remaining hostage block the door with a couch and at least one window with a table before ordering him to the second floor, police said.

Once upstairs, Somera fired seven rounds into the house he used to live in, which was no longer occupied, police said. The shootings occurred in the span of about 30 minutes, but the standoff went on for another four hours.

During the standoff, Somera, who was given a phone to talk to negotiators, threatened the hostage, telling him to prepare, because he was going to kill him, police said.

He was also heard on the phone purportedly talking to family members and telling them he was angry because his wife was leaving him and he was going to lose his children, police said. He surrendered peacefully about 3:15 p.m.

McMahill praised Metro's personnel: "I'm swelled with pride as I stand before you," he said. "Throughout this entire incident, it's not all that often that a suspect survives shooting at the police. And the remarkable restraint that the men and women of law enforcement showed on this particular day is something that ... I'm getting goosebumps talking about it."

Somera, who didn't have a criminal record prior to this week, was booked at the Clark County Detention Center on three counts of kidnapping second degree with a deadly weapon, seven counts of assault with a deadly weapon, one count of burglary with a firearm and one count of firing into a structure, police said.

He will appear in court Friday, jail records show.